Author: Tambiyan Samvel

Photo: Getty Images

US scientists have urged the World Health Organisation to take urgent action over the Zika virus, which they say has “explosive pandemic potential,” the BBC reports.

Writing in a US medical journal, they called on the WHO to heed lessons from the Ebola outbreak and convene an emergency committee of disease experts.

They said a vaccine might be ready for testing in two years but it could be a decade before it is publicly available.

Zika, linked to shrunken brains in children, has caused panic in Brazil.

Thousands of people have been infected there and it has spread to some 20 countries.

The Brazilian President, Dilma Roussef, has urged Latin America to unite in combating the virus.

Today the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) held a heated debate on two reports on Nagorno-Karabakh: “Escalation of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan”, by rapporteur Robert Walter (UK) and “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water,” by rapporteur Milica Marković (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The Parliamentary Assembly rejected the report by Walter and adopted the report by Markovic.

Since November 2015, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) had carried out extensive work in 20 Member States of the Council of Europe, elaborating on the essence of the reports and exposing their biased character. The European Armenian Federation was also in Strasbourg and closely followed the vote.

Both draft resolutions evidently lacked thorough, impartial research, selectively left out crucial facts and in general cause harm to the negotiation process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group had previously issued statements, the latest one being a joined press release, urging PACE not to undermine the negotiation process.

The rejected draft report by Robert Walter was evidently a word-for-word reflection of the official Azerbaijani and Turkish stance on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In her report, Milica Markovic, who never visited the reservoir, used this humanitarian issue as a pretext in order to make highly biased statements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in general. A brief comparison of the draft resolution and of the technical report, which should be the basis of the draft resolution, makes it clear that Ms. Marković deliberately exaggerated the consequences of potential danger. On the other hand, she left important facts, stated in the technical report, out of the draft resolution, since this information did not fit in with her biased intentions.

EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian said: “Today the Council of Europe rejected the highly biased and inflammatory report by Robert Walter. Thus, the results of today’s vote can be generally considered positive. The current Azerbaijani Government and Mr. Walter did not succeed in their efforts of using the Council of Europe as an instrument for anti-Armenian war-rhetoric. It was encouraging to see the level of support and mobilization.”

“Unfortunately, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the rather partial report by Milica Marković on the Sarsang reservoir. It is clear that since the beginning Ms. Marković intended to use this humanitarian issue in order to draft a report reflecting the Azerbaijani perspective on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” stressed Karampetian.

“Now the task of the Armenian diplomacy should be raising awareness on the environmental and human rights problems of the Armenian citizens in bordering areas, facing similar problems, caused by Azerbaijan” concluded the President of EAFJD.

Today, the European Court of Human Rights delivered three decisions on the cases against Armenia.

In the cases Ghuyumchyan v. Armenia and Tovmasyan v. Armenia concerning the applicants’ complaints that they were deprived of access to court since they could not afford to hire an advocate, the Court found a violation of the Article 6 § 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights (access to court) in respect of Vahan Ghuyumchyan (the son of Garegin Ghuyumchyan) and Ms Tovmasyan. The Court awarded just satisfaction: 3,600 euros (EUR) each to Vahan Ghuyumchyan and Ms Tovmasyan in respect of non-pecuniary (moral) damage.

In the case Safaryan v. Armenia concerning the applicant’s complaints that she was unable to have her property divided and transferred to her children and to register her title in respect of a pavilion built on her plot of land, the Court found a violation of the Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) and awarded just satisfaction: EUR 3,000 (non-pecuniary damage) and EUR 630 (costs and expenses).

Tthese judgments are not final. During the three-month period following the judgment’s delivery, any party may request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court. If such a request is made, a panel of five judges considers whether the case deserves further examination. In that event, the Grand Chamber will hear the case and deliver a final judgment. If the referral request is refused, the Chamber judgment will become final on that day. Under Article 28 of the Convention, judgments delivered by a Committee are final. Once a judgment becomes final, it is transmitted to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe for supervision of its execution.

Photo: Sputnik/ Sergey Pivovarov

After being fully repaired, MiG-29 fourth generation jet fighters will be deployed to the Russian airbase in Erebuni to protect Armenian airspace, Sputnik News reports. 

A group of MiG-29 multirole jet fighters will be deployed to the Russian airbase Erebuni in Armenia in the second half of 2016, the press office of the Russian Southern Military District reported.

MiG-29 jets which will be deployed to the airbase after being fully repaired have been used to protect Armenia’s airspace within the joint air defense systems of the CIS. They have also been involved in regular training flights in accordance with the combat readiness program.

“In the second half of 2016, a new unit of MiG-29 fourth-generation multirole jets as well as a Mi-8 transport helicopter will be deployed to the Erebuni airbase, in Armenia,” according to the report.

The military underscored that after the New Year holiday season preparations will start at the airfield for the new aircraft, including building storage housing modules.

In November 1998, Russia deployed the first MiG-29 jets to the Erebuni airbase. In July 2001, an air force unit was formed from the aircraft deployed to the base.

Russia’s General Staff has provided information to France on Turkey’s role in stealing Syrian natural resources and financing the Islamic State , the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday, reports.

“General of the Army Valery Gerasimov presented information on continued stealing of Syrian national resources, the proceeds from which are used to finance IS, as well as on Turkey’s role in this process,” the ministry said in a statement.

The head of the Russian General Staff has also agreed with France to set up an exchange of operative information to coordinate actions in the fight against the Islamic State, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service announced Thursday.

“It has been agreed to establish an exchange of operative information to coordinate the actions for a more effective destruction of command points, military equipment, [arms] depots, paths for equipping militants, and other IS infrastructures in Syria,” the press service said in a statement.

According to Russian Defense Ministry’s press service, the head of the Russian General Staff has agreed with France to set up an exchange of operative information to coordinate actions in the fight against the Islamic State.

We strongly condemn the unprecedented aggravation of the situation at the line of contact, which led to a number of human losses on the threshold of the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents scheduled for December 19, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

“We express our deep condolences to the relatives of the killed soldiers of the NKR Defense Army,” Minister Nalbandian said.

“The rise of tensions ahead of every high-level meeting has become usual. Baku cherishes the illusion that it can negotiate with the power of weapons. Despite the calls of the co-chairing countries to exclude the use of force, Azerbaijan resorts to new adventurism. Baku is thus trying to divert the negotiation process away from the goals of establishment of peace and settlement of the conflict,” Minister Nalbandian said in comments to Radio Liberty.

“In this situation the steps targeted at easing tension proposed by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs are a must,” the Foreign Minister said, adding that the proposals include creation of a mechanism for investigation of border incidents, reinforcement of the mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the increase of the number of his Field Assistants.

“We expect the co-chairing countries to take practical steps in that direction,” Edward Nalbandian concluded.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has issued an address on the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime:

Dear Compatriots,

Today, the international community for the first time officially observes the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. It was the recurrence of the gravest crime against humanity that resulted in the creation of the term genocide, and subsequently the adoption in 1948 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Convention opened a new legal page in the definition of genocides and global fight for the prevention of genocides.

These days, when progressive people of the world commemorate important anniversaries of the most vicious crimes committed in the 20th century, including the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, 70th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz, 40th anniversary of the genocide in Cambodia, as well as anniversaries of genocides in Ruanda and other places, of Pontic Greeks and Assyrians, the history of the humankind is being distorted right before our eyes, right before our eyes there take place ethnic cleansings, mass murders, millennia-old cultural monuments of the human civilization are being destroyed, the memory of the nations is being erased.
Therefore, the international community has once again come together: to pledge on December 9 of every year that the best way to pay tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of this most horrendous crime is the consolidated fight against genocides.

This consolidation resulted in the endorsement by the majority of the UN member states of the proposal made by the Republic of Armenia – motherland of the nation which survived in a genocide – and through the corresponding resolution of its General Assembly declared December 9 the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. The initiative was a momentous achievement for our commitment to the international fight against the crime of genocide which has acquired a special connotation in the year when we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

From now one, December 9 is not only the day of the adoption of the Convention of the Prevention of Genocides but each year on this day we will unite under the auspices of the United Nations to reconsider the message of the day – Never Again.

The opposition in Venezuela has won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, overturning nearly two decades of dominance by the Socialists of President Nicolas Maduro, the BBC reports.

Five hours after polling ended, the National Electoral Council announced the opposition had won 99 seats.

President Maduro has admitted defeat, recognising “these adverse results”.

It is the worst-ever defeat for the leftist movement founded by former leader Hugo Chavez in 1999.

The Socialists have gained 46 seats, with another 22 yet to be declared.

Results arrived much later than expected, five hours after polls closed. Fireworks erupted over the capital, Caracas, soon after.

Four members of the gang, which operated under the guise of religion, were neutralized as a result of a special operation conducted by the Azerbaijani law enforcement representatives in Baku’s Nardaran settlement, Trend reports, quoting a joint statement made by the Interior Ministry and Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan. Another 14 members of the gang have been arrested.

The law enforcement bodies say that Tale Bagirov, Elman Agayev, Zulfigar Mikailov and Abulfaz Buniyadov created the Muslim Unity movement for the purpose of changing the constitutional system of the country by force and creating a religious state, governed by the Shariah laws.

The four gathered with their supporters in various parts of the country and in Baku, providing them with different kinds of firearms, ammunition, explosive substances.

In addition, by holding illegal assemblies in Nardaran settlement, they discussed ways to organize rebellion in the country against the authorities and instructed their supporters in this connection, as well as spread leaflets among the population.

In order to detain those people the Interior Ministry held a special operation in Nardaran settlement of Baku. During the operation the police officers faced resistance the criminals used firearms and a hand grenade.

A special operative group killed four members of the criminal grouping and wounded several others.

Two police officers were also killed.

Automatic guns, a hand grenade and cold arms were confiscated from the spot. The criminal grouping and 14 people led by Tale Bagirov were detained. A criminal proceeding has been instituted into the case, investigation is underway.